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What's your home audio set up?

basskababble

basskababble

Mar 28, 2008
828
6
Miami Florida
#1
I'm learning covers from CD's, roomate's ipods, and laptops. I live with two drummers, so things need to be loud, and be able to project the bass. We can't seem to get it right, and I'm resigned to burning CD's and putting them in a Sony boombox that has a "bass boost". Measly.

What's your home audio set up? Is there an inexpensive system I can buy that will project the bass in music loud enough for me to hear and learn it?

We've tried monitors and a P.A. but those cost a lot and require a ton of cables and adapters that crap out in a week's time. They're also expensive to buy and maintain and a pain when you're just trying to turn something on and play along.
 
#2
Craigslist or pawnshop old 80's-90's home stereo speakers. Big ones, name brand. Then just go 1/8" jack from the computer to rca in on your reciever.

I say all this because you can usually find older kick@ss speakers for cheap because the size and style doesn't go with most people's home decor anymore. For the money it's about the best way to get big loud quality sound. TEST THEM BEFORE YOU BUY.
 
#3
My practice chain is as follows: CD player/computer/mp3 player & bass > DigiTech BP200 (or any amp with aux in/headphone out feature) > good headphones.

You don't need super loud to learn a tune. You need accurate reproduction. IMO/IME this is best achieved under headphones, but I would speculate that some real quality earbuds might work just as well.
 
#6
Except gear that is already listed on my profile, my gear is:

Genelec 8020A + 8050B (monitors)
Phonic Firefly 808u
Behringer ADA8000
Don´t remember brand headphones amp
Universal Audio LA-610
AKG C414B-ULS
2x Oktava Mk219
Audix drum mic
Auralex acoustics
Phones: Sennheiser HD201, HD202, Phillips (forget the model),
 
#7
Headphones are great for the Apogee set up ( I had that before, but it's not cheap) because you can mix in the bass with the song... but what about my drummers? They do play on a Roland electric kit, so we could mix everything into the same rig, but it's better that we can hear it loud and in the room so the horns and vocals can join in, and we can communicate better.

@45acp: What keywords would I use? Craigslist was the first place I looked, but I don't know what people call those old set ups? Stereos?
 
#8
Are we talking about something like this?

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And isn't it a bit pricey?

Or this?

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I feel like these set ups include a bunch of stuff I don't need and are really high asking prices:
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#9
For my learning process I set up the inputs on my Pro Tools 10 system for my bass DI and my computer. That allows me to bring reference audio in from either the hard drive or the internet and load it into a track, then input my bass to another track so I can work with the audio I'm learning in segments or in it's entirety. From there I work on headphones. I keep a lead sheet up on the 2nd monitor.
 
#10
basskababble said:
Headphones are great for the Apogee set up ( I had that before, but it's not cheap) because you can mix in the bass with the song... but what about my drummers? They do play on a Roland electric kit, so we could mix everything into the same rig, but it's better that we can hear it loud and in the room so the horns and vocals can join in, and we can communicate better.

@45acp: What keywords would I use? Craigslist was the first place I looked, but I don't know what people call those old set ups? Stereos?
Click to expand...

Gotcha...Didn't realize you were wanting to figure the part out with the drummers pounding away at the same time. :hiding:

Here's what I would do then...Get a headphone amp (cheap ones available at GC or online), run your audio source into the input and have everyone wear headphones to practice along. For yourself, you could sit close to your amp and leave the headphones off one ear or get a cheap mixer (again GC or online...I have a Behringer that I picked up for like $30) and plug your audio source and bass into that and run the output from that into your headphone amp. That way you'd be able to control the volume of the track you're trying to learn and your bass at the same place. Depending on the electric drum set up you'd be able to run that through the mixer too if you have enough channels.
 
#11
basskababble said:
Are we talking about something like this?

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

And isn't it a bit pricey?

Or this?

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

I feel like these set ups include a bunch of stuff I don't need and are really high asking prices:
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
Click to expand...
Kind of sort of, but not really. :p

Assuming you're in a position that headphones wont do the job, you just need two speakers and something to push them. I mentioned the "80's tower speakers" because (around here) that seems to be the best bang for the buck on sound quality and volume. I have an ancient set of USA made Sony towers in our jam room that I picked up for $20, driven with an older home AV receiver that I wasn't using. Very loud, very clear all for what most people would consider beer money.
 
#12
That's what I'm trying to go to.



45acp said:
Kind of sort of, but not really. :p

Assuming you're in a position that headphones wont do the job, you just need two speakers and something to push them. I mentioned the "80's tower speakers" because (around here) that seems to be the best bang for the buck on sound quality and volume. I have an ancient set of USA made Sony towers in our jam room that I picked up for $20, driven with an older home AV receiver that I wasn't using. Very loud, very clear all for what most people would consider beer money.
Click to expand...
 
#13
My home practice setup is as simple (or as complicated) as I like.

I use an Apogee Jam into my iPhone 4S (yup) running Jamup XT with the bass expansion available via in-app.

I have my choice of four great sounding amp models as well as a ton of awesome effects. It sounds so good I've started using it into a DI as often as possible without my amp.

There's also a function that allows you to import a song from the iPod library and mix my bass.
 
#14
with the milder weather arriving, my set up has moved out to the garage.
I just purchased another Acoustic B20 and split the output of my ipod to one each of the aux ins.
Plenty loud enough to hear the tracks and play my nitrobass at some volume.
Works for me.
In the house I load reaper with a track that Im working on , and add another track for my bass. I use amplitube on the bass track and sounds great through my headphones or
my rokit 5's.
Jeff
 
#15
I run through a Bass Pod XT into a Behringer USB audio interface ($30), and then into my PC. I plug my UE Triple Fi 10 ear buds into the Behringer's headphone out. I downloaded The Amazing Slow Downer software (around $40-50) and then I assign through the preferences in ASD to output through the USB gizmo and away I go. ASD allows me to import iTunes playlists, my own mp3 libraries and not only play along but also slow the music down to a snails pace to learn fast riffs or weird turnarounds. It allows me o chart a tune out in no time. Then I can take it apart and learn it very thoroughly much quicker all in all. Highly recommended.

I too have a sweet vintage set of Genelec 8020 A's, but I only have the 7050B sub. On occasion when the neighbor isn't home, I let it rip through those bad dads.

But the primary reason I rehearse via headphones is security. If enough people hear pounding tunes or a blasting bass. A regular basis, it gets noticed, paints a bullseye on your place as having something that makes very loud noise and might be worth ripping off. I have over $150K worth of gear and guitars at home and I don't have any intention of getting busted into, so I lay low at the crib.
 
#17
My practice setup is a pair of powered studio monitors connected to a computer interface. I can listen to iTunes, MP3 files, youtube vidoes, or load a CD into the computer.

I think monitors are well suited to this job, since they are designed to be accurate and loud, while home stereo speakers may be desgined with a midrange scoop to sound 'exciting' *coughBosecough* and also need to look nice. You don't have to spend a ton of money. There are passive monitors from Alesis, KRK, Yamaha, etc. that are pretty reasonably priced, and you can power them with any stereo amp. Find a 200WPC Onkyo amp or something and a pair of Alesis Monitor Ones on eBay and you'll be rocking hard.
 
#18
Now my place with picture ;)
 

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